Rhythm of War is an epic fantasy novel written by American author Brandon Sanderson and the fourth book in The Stormlight Archive series.

As with Kaladin in The Way of Kings, Shallan in Words of Radiance, and Dalinar in Oathbringer, Rhythm of War has a sequence of flashback chapters, this time for characters Eshonai and Venli.

While the title suggests greater focus on characters from the so-called 'singer culture', the remaining protagonists, including Kaladin Stormblessed, Shallan Davar, Dalinar Kholin, Navani, Adolin, as well as Bridge Four members also feature prominently.

Kaladin travels to his hometown of Hearthstone to rescue the citizens, including his family, and to pick up a famous Herdazian general known as The Mink who has fled from Herdaz after the Parshmen conquered Alethkar.

While returning, Navani is contacted by a mysterious stranger who tells her that creating magic devices called Fabrials, which are made by imprisoning a Spren in a gemstone, is unethical.

Having failed to apprehend Ialai Sadeas, who has died recently from poison, Shallan discovers a hidden notebook during the mission mentioning mysterious terms (referring to other worlds in the Cosmere universe) and considers breaking free of the Ghostbloods.

Mraize sends her on one final mission, promising her full Ghostblood membership and knowledge after she finds a mysterious man named Restares held captive within the Lasting Integrity, the Honorspren's capital city in Shadesmar.

In this meeting, Mink suggests that they should avoid reclaiming Alethkar to prevent Taravangian's betrayal and instead target Emul to fend off the Singers' army and support the Skybreakers who have succumbed to extensive forces.

Following the Mink's advice, Dalinar and Jasnah along with Taravangian set off to fight on the Emul battlefront in a strategic maneuver, leaving Navani and Kaladin behind at their home base of Urithiru to handle their path of discovery.

After departing Urithiru, Shallan, Adolin, and a few Radiants head to Shadesmar as diplomatic envoys to encourage the Honorsprens to bond with humans.

Along the journey, Shallan, along with her split personalities Radiant and Veil, suspects there is a spy who might sabotage her mission, and comes to believe that Pattern might have secretly leaked the information to Mraize.

Not wanting to return to Urithiru empty-handed, Adolin persuades the Honorspren to declare a trial of himself with Shallan, Pattern, and Mayalaran by his side for defense.

During the Singers' invasion, Lift spends her time alone in the tower fearing growing up until she finds a mysterious red bird and nurtures it to health upon discovering its owner deceased and Mraize approaching her.

After the battle, Taravangian deliberately orders the Veden forces to attack and is later captured as a traitor and begins to see ways to thwart Odium through Nightblood, the black sword.

During her time of captivity, Navani continues her research on Stormlight's connection to Voidlight and Lifelight, which before were disconnected from each other confirming that they are unmixed based on Raboniel's false hypothesis.

With Raboniel's aid, they also learned that Stormlight and Voidlight are attracted through changing frequency and find anti-types of light, which can permanently kill Spren and Fused, a discovery that can end the cycle of war.

As he gathers supplies for Teft, Kaladin's depression worsens, with Moash and Odium sending him visions to drive him insane, but he keeps himself busy defending the nodes under Navani's and the Sibling's instruction.

Stranded with the nightmare created by Odium, Kaladin struggles to resist its influence until he is rescued by Wit upon requesting the story about the Dog and the Dragon.

By testing the Anti-voildlight, Rabioniel killed her daughter and thus prevents her immortality and demand to create anti-Stormlight which left Navani distraught.

Determined to seek redemption for her past transgressions, Venli decides to help Rlain and Dabbid free Lift, who was captured by Mraize during the Singers invasion.

With Eshonai growing fond with humans following King Gavilar's expedition, Venli encounters a mysterious stranger who gave her a red gem to discover the history of her people.

Venli invertedly summons Ulim, the voidspren sent by Odium, and travels to Kholinar upon learning the Heralds' insanity and Gavilar's plan.

With his scar healed and his trauma recovered, Kaladin states the Fourth Ideal which then summons a Shardplate and saves his father, then returns to reclaim the tower.

Disarmed by Szeth, who learns about his father's demise, Ishar temporarily regains his sanity and tells Dalinar to meet him in Shinovar for further instruction before vanishing into Shadesmar.

Venli eventually reunites with an escaped group of listeners, including her mother, eager to bond with Spren, redeeming herself from her past transgression in bringing about Odium.

Feeling distraught from Ishar's report from Shinovar, Szeth leaves Dalinar to pursue his next Ideal and visits Taravangian in his cell, intending to kill him once and for all.

With only ten days left, Dalinar sends Kaladin to travel to Shinovar to help Ishar gain his sense of forging the Oathpact.

Eighteen months ago, during the battle of Narak, Eshonai died from injury after she fell into the chasm, and her soul ascended as a Knight Radiant.

[10] At roughly 460,000 words, Rhythm of War is slightly longer than its predecessor, Oathbringer, including a prologue, epilogue, 117 chapters, and multiple interludes.